Indexed card finding or selecting apparatus



June 28, 1932. c, E. TUMMINELLQ 1,865,343

- YINDEXED CARD FINDING 0R SELECTING APPARATUS Filed June 2, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet l 13 if 2 1a CE f ummz'yeellg.

Z2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY June 28, 1932. c. E. TUMMINELLO 1,365,343

INDEXED CARD FINDING OR SELECTING APPARATUS Filed June 2, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A4, m /5 9 L I .l a N E \Q l g 1 I z 1 ll w i K \i E A 1N E \N i 1 5 H I E 1* g 4? l E l h i 1 ME 1 k x k a \Px a 3 V m I L 's f- 6; 61% f ummz' fgfiq,

ATTORNEY June 28, 1932.. c. E. TUMMENELLU INDEXED CARD FINDING OR SELECTING APPARATUS Filed June 2, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 $30 INVENTOR ATTORNEY 2& 1. iaJwMiNE-Lmv L XNDEECED CARD FINDING OR SELECTING APPARATUS led June 2, 1931 4 Sheets-$heet 4 INVENTOR Patented June 28, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT orrice CHARLES E. TUMMINELLO, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTH TO SAMUEL A. GREENBERG- .AND ONE-FOURTH TO HARRY K. ANGEL-BOTH OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA INDEXED CARD FINDING OR SELECTING APPARATUS Application filed June 2, 1931.

I The invention relates to an indexed card finding or selecting apparatus and more particularly to a self-sorting card apparatus or holder.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus or holder of this character wherein cards placed therein either indexed or otherwise accordingly to the sys tems of filing in business with which said cards constitute a record can be automatically projected either singly or in group accordingly to the classification of the system of indexing so that such card or cards singly or in the group can be brought to view for attention by the user of the apparatus or holder, the mechanism for the finding or selecting of a card or cards in the apparatus or holder being of novel form' to enable the finding or selection being effected with dispatch and without inconvenience or mistake in bringing to view the wrong card or cards within the holder.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus or holder of this character wherein in conjunction with an indexing system for cards or other systems of classification a card or cards may be selectively procured or sorted for the attention of the user thereof, thereby eliminating manual manipulation of the cards in the system or index for locating particular cards thereof, the finding or selecting of a card or cards being automatically accomplished with accuracy in the finding or locating of the same.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus or holder of this character wherein cards placed therein either alphabetically, numerically or otherwise indexed into classifications, groups or otherwise, may be automatically handled for the sorting thereof and the finding or selecting of one or more of the indexed cards without manual handling of the same.

'A further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus or holder of this character which is comparatively simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and eflicient in its purpose, readily and easily operated, accurate in the automatic finding and selecting characteristics, neat and attractive in apserial No. 541,706.

pearance, readily portable and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully d scribed in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus or holder constructed in accordance with the invention showing cards placed therein.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation thereof with a portion of its casing broken away.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line t-4= of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a plan View of a series of cards used in the apparatus or holder.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the finding or selecting mechanism of the apparatus or holder.

Figure 8 is an elevation of the followeremployed in the apparatus or holder.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view showing a slight modification of the finding or selecting mechanism of that shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several Views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the holder or apparatus comprises a casing A preferably of rectangular shape although it may be of any other desirable shape including straight sides 10, straight ends 11 and a flat bottom 12 respectively, these being joined in any suitable manner, while the top of said. case A is open for the placing and removal of cards or other like record-carrying elements in and from the same. It is preferable to have the sides 10 and ends 11 at the upper open top of the case A fitted with a marginal rim or flange 13 for a purpose presently described.

The case A has fitted therein longitudinally of the same and at its center a guide rod 14, which latter may be removably held in the ends 11 of said case in any suitable manner and supported for movement upon this rod is a follower 15 which in this instance is in the form of a board or plate and has mounted thereon a brace 16 which constitutes a runner on the guide rod 14, the brace being designed to support the said follower 15 in a perpendicular or vertical position throughout the elements of adjustment thereof within the case A.

The side stretches of the top rim or flange 13 have countersunk in their edges confronting the open top of the case A toothed bars or racks 17 while the follower 15 carries hand releasable spring latching devices 18 for engagement with the teeth of the bars or A racks 17 and in this manner the said follower 15 can be held against retrograde movement on adjustment manually thereof in one direction within the case A for the bringing together or closing together any number of cards 19 when placed within the case A aggrouped side by side and supported edgcwise therein. Of course it is to be understood that these cards may be placed within the case A in conformity with an indexing system of characteristics or classification conforming to a particular business or businesses in the filing of its records. However it is not essential that the cards 19 be placed within the case A in the order of the classification .as ma be assi ned for the filin of such records of the business or businesses for the functioning of the apparatus or holder constituting the present invention as will be hereinafter fully described.

Arranged within the case A on opposite sides of the card-occupying space aiiorde therein are vertical ro\ 's of superposed finding or selecting cylinders20 and 21 respec tively, these of the rows being arranged parallel with each other and having their opposite ends closed with center journals 22 fitted within the ends 11 of the case A or a supplemental bearing structure therefor. The cylinders 20 and 21 of the rows are cut away or slotted longitudinally thereof as at 23 for accommodating confronting lips or tongues 24 on opposite side edges of the respective cards 19, that is, a group of said cards. It is of course to be understood that these cards 19 of the group with'the fingers or tongues 24 have the latter arranged accordinglytotheselectedclassificationorindexing system adopted for the apparatus or holder whereby certain cards 19 will have the fingers or tongues 24 atone lever and another card or cards of the group with the other of the rows of said cylinders.

fingers or tongues 24 at another level and this arrangement of the fingers or tongues 24 on the cards is carried out throughout the group of said cards in conformity with the number of finding or selecting cylinders 20 and 21 in their levels with relation to each The cylinders 20 and 21 of the rows as opposite each other are connected together in pairs by cross links 25 pivoted to the closed ends of said cylinders at one end of the case A, thus it beingseen that when the cylinder 20 of the pair including the cylinder 21 is turned movement will be imparted to the latter cylinder 21 and this pair will operate in unison, whereby when a card is to be lifted of the group bearing the fingers or tongues 24 and such card has the tongues or fingers 24 confronting the cut away or slot in the selected pair of cylinders 20 and 21,

on operating this pair of cylinders the same will lift the card to project the same above the group confined within the case A, and in this manner a particular card can be selected or a series of particular cards selected by a pair of cylinders 20 and 21.

The cylinders 20 each is formed with an actuator arm 26 and the arms of the respective cylinders have connected thereto actuating plungers 27, these protruded upwardly through the rim 18 at the open top of the case A and carrying button heads or keys 28 having thereon suitable indicia for selectivity or sorting purposes. The plungers being normally held lifted or raised under the action of a tensioning spring 29 for each plunger and disposed between the rim 13 and the button head or key 28 and in this manner the pairs of cylinders 20 and 21 will be normally held with their cut-away or slotted portions 23 clear of the fingers or tongues 24 on the cards 19 placed within the case A or in position for finding and selecting the fingers or tongues 24 on the cards 19 as confronting thereto. In the lower portion of the case A is arranged a series of finding and selecting bars or rails 30, these being associated with swinging lifting arms 31, there being a pair for each bar 30 and those of the pair being arranged fore and aft of said bar and loosely journaled on supporting shafts 32 disposed transversely of and mounted in the case A. The arms 31 of the air are connected together for simultaneous movement by a connecting rod 33 and these connecting rods 33 are pivotally joined with bell-cranks 34 mounted in the forward portion of the case'A for vertical rocking movements.

The front end of the case A is provided with a medial vertical slot 35 through which project a series of actuating handles 36, these being carried upon yokes 37 which have their lowerends connected by pivots 38 with spaced pairs of the bell-cranks 34 so that selectively assie a pair of the bars 30 can be actuated from the handle 36 and these bars 30 match with feet 39 formed at the lower or bottom ends of certain of the cards 19, the feet .39 of these series of cards being staggered with relation to each other so that any one or more of said cards with the feet 39 can be selectively raised by the bar 30 when actuated to bring the same outwardly from the group of cards 19 within the case A. The cards with the feet 39 are preferably indexing cards for the group of cards 19 within the case A. It should be apparent that by operating selectively the handle 30 there can be had a finding or selecting of particular cards of those having the feet 39 to lift selected ones thereof from the case A when the same are therein and out of the group of cards 19 as confined therein. Also the cards bearing the fingers or tongues 24 can be selectively lifted from the group of cards 19 within the case A by manipulating selectively any one or more of the keys or button heads 28 whereby the mechanism controlled by the plungers 27 will selectively find and lift a card or cards with the fingers or tongues 24 thereon of this group of cards.

In Figure 9 there is shown a slight modi fication of the invention, wherein tne finding or selecting cylinder 20 in lieu of the actuating plungers 27 and their button heads or keys 28 there may be substituted a turning knob for each cylinder 20 which is arranged outside of the case A and carried by one journal ll of said cylinder 20, it being obvious that by manipulating the knob 40 the cylinder may be turned and in this arrangement the identical finding or selecting of cards 19 of the group within the case A can be accomplished.

In view of the finding, selecting or sorting characteristics of the apparatus or holder the functioning of the same will sort cards by classes as to the date of material, as to alphabet, as to routes, inventory, and in fact any other kinds of classifications or; indexing as may be adopted in the use of said apparatus or holder and additionally in the independent finding and selecting characteristics it will enable two forms of sorting, finding or selecting to be had without disarranging the order in which the cards are filed Within the case A as the filing of such cards will not interfere in any manner with the working of the apparatus or holder, as the cards will be sorted if they are alphabetically out of order or numerically out of order should this be the character of indexing thereof as adopted for use with the ap paratus or holder.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction and operation of the apparatus or holder may be understood and therefore a more extended explanation has been omitted.

What is claimed is 1. In an apparatus of the k nd descr1bed,-a case, cards arranged within the case, finding mechanism including a. series of channeled Y members located at opposite sides of and arranged within the case and selectively manually operable, and means on the cards and coactive with the finding mechanism for the selectiy e sorting of said cards by said mechanism.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described, a case, cards arranged within the case, finding mechanisms arranged at thebottom and opposite sides of the case and manually selectively operable, means on the cards and 00: active with the finding mechanisms for the Selective sorting of said cards by said meclr anisms, one of said HIGCl'lllDlSlDS including channeled cylinders arranged opposite each other, the mechanisms being superposed with respect to one another, means at the front of the case for actuating selectively one mechanism, and means at the top of'th'e case for actuating selectively the othermechanism.

3. In an apparatus of the kind described a container,cards having selector characteristics, and mechanism inchiding channeled cylinders located at opposite ends of the cards'and manually operable for automati cally finding selectively the selector characteristics for displacing determined cards within the case.

4. In an apparatus of the kind described, a container for a pluralityof cards, each bearing a pair of projections, a pair of cardmoving channeled members rotatably mounted at opposite sides of the container and adapted to move for engagement with the pair of projections ofany of said cards, and means for operating the pair of members for projecting selected card or cards by said projections from the plurality of cards when within the container.

5. An apparatus of the kind described comprising a container having cards and finding means including channeled cylinders located longitudinally of the case at opposite ends of the cards and arranged to select determined cards, said cards having selective characteristics for cooperation with said finding means for locating the positions of desired cards and displacing the located cards from the others within the container.

6. An apparatus of the kind described comprising a container, a follower adjustably arranged within the container, cards within said container and held by the follower, and having selective characteristics, mechanism including channeled cylinders at opposite ends of the cards in the container for cooperation with the selective characteristics to effect locating of desired cards and displacing the same from the others in the container.

7. In an apparatus of the kind described, a container, cards within the container and having selective characteristics, and finding mechanism at opposite sides of the case and cooperating with the selective characteristics for sorting of desired cards and displacing the same selectively from the contained cards, the said mechanism at opposite sides of the case including channeled cylinders.

8. In an apparatus of the kind described, a case, a plurality of cards within the case, a follower for the cards, selective characteristics for the cards, selective finding mechanism including channeled cylinders at opposite sides of the case and cooperating with certain of the selective characteristics to displace desired cards of the plurality within the case, and selective finding mechanism beneath the cards in the case and cooperating with the other selective characteristics of the cards for selecting other cards of the plurality and displacing the same relative to said plurality of cards independently of the first-named displacement of cards.

9. In an apparatus of the kind described, a case, a plurality of cards within the case, a follower for the cards, selective characteristics for the cards, selective finding mechanism including rotatable channeled cylinders at opposite ends of the cards in one portion of the case and cooperating with certain of the selective characteristics to displace desired cards of the plurality within the case, selective finding mechanism below said cards in another portion of the case and cooperating with the other selective characteristics of the cards for selecting other cards of the plurality and displacing the same relative to said plurality of cards independently of the firstnamed displacement of cards, and manually operated means controlling the first and last named finding mechanisms.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES E. TUMMINELLO. 

